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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 2.41.9

Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa, sarga 41: Rāma leaves the sleeping citizens. Sumantra lays misleading tracks, Rāma crosses the Tamasā with Sītā & Lakṣmaṇa before the followers wake

In the sequence: Sumantra feeds and tends the horses, then helps prepare a bed of leaves → Rāma and Sītā sleep while Lakṣmaṇa stays awake talking with Sumantra

2.41.9

evam uktvā tu saumitraṃ sumantram api rāghavaḥ
apramattas tvam aśveṣu bhava saumyety uvāca ha

Having thus spoken to Saumitri, Rāghava said also to Sumantra: 'Be watchful over the horses, gentle one.'

Words: evam — thus; uktvā — having spoken; tu — and; saumitraṃ — to Saumitri; sumantram — to Sumantra; api — also; rāghavaḥ — Rāghava; apramattas — vigilant, heedful; tvam — you; aśveṣu — over the horses; bhava — be; saumyety — 'gentle one,' thus; uvāca — said; ha — indeed

Composed by Maharṣi Vālmīki, the ādikavi of the ādikāvya: the first poet of the first poem. Sanskrit: The Vālmīki-Rāmāyaṇa: Critical Edition, Oriental Institute, Baroda, 1960–1975 (gen. eds. G. H. Bhatt, U. P. Shah); IAST from GRETIL (Göttingen). Translation and word glosses: Claude Opus 4.6–4.7; summaries and sequences: ChatGPT Astra (machine-made). Numbering follows the Critical Edition, not the vulgate (e.g. Gita Press, valmikiramayan.net), so sarga and verse numbers can differ from those editions.